Story of Greenwich pensioners,— Go to Woolwich,— Its description,— Return to London,— Remarks on seeing London,— My stopping place,— A description,— St. Sepulchre Church bells,— Execution of felons,— British Museum,— House of Lords and Commons,— Meaning of the Woolsack,— Westminster Abbey,— Thames Tunnel,— Tower,— William IV. proclaimed king,— Guests,— Loyalty of citizens,— Visit to neighboring towns,— Windsor,— Windsor Park,— Eton College,— Caricature shop,— Indecent pictures,— Excuse of the printer,— It maydo in England,— Horse drinks porter,— Return to London through Hounslow Heath —Visit St Thomas' Hospital,— King's bench prison,— Description,— Attend church at City road Chapel,— Bunhill fields burying ground,— Smithfield,— Account of Joe Bragg,— Go to Staffordshire,—Potteries,— Dainty Irishman,— Went to Burslem,— Letter to Mr. Ridgeway— Go through the potteries,— Description of the making of China° ware,— Remarks,— Visits to the Foudrenier Paper Mills, — Objection to receive strangers, — Positive Assurance that I had no knowledge of paper making,— Admittance, — Astonishment,— Leave Staffordshire,— Presented with some Staffordshire ware,— Return to Liverpool,— Informed of a Boston captain,— Meet him,— His story,— Urge him to abandon his habits of drinking,— Go to Northumberland and to Newcastle,— Apprise my friends at Newcastle of my intention of visiting them,— Arrival at Newcastle,— Visit anticipated,— Happy meeting,— Convivial party,— Conversation with an old gentleman,— Explosion of the coal mines,— Sail for Leith,— Arrival,— Go to Edinburg, — Fish women,— An old Boston Merchant —Visit to Holyrood house, — Its description, — Long missing regalia of Scotland, — Edinburg Castle,— Edinburg,— Go to Glasgow,— Arrive.
" What ship was that man on board of in the wagon there, with both legs off '?" " Your honor, that's old Tom Harvey. He lost his pin3 aboard the Leviathan, when she cut her way through the Dardanelles. Here, boy, back your cart off this way, these gentlemen would like a bit of a yarn from old Tom. You see, sir, the Admiralty pays that ere youngster for dragging old Tom about." We just stepped a few paces ahead, and had a short chat with the old fellow. He was quarter gunner on board the Leviathan, and lost both legs by a splinter, knocked from a gun carriage by a marble shot, weighing over two hundred pounds. He was a jovial old fellow, nearly sixty years of age, and cheerful as a lark.
One fellow among the group, took a pride in exhibiting his Sunday leg; he had whittled it out himself, from a splinter of the Victory's mainmast. He had his leg shot off in the action at Trafalgar, with Kelson, and when laying on the table in the cockpit, ready for amputation, the doctor being all ready with his saw and knife, Bill raises himself up a bit, and after taking a fresh quid, says, " please, sir, before you cut off the old stump, just promise me one thing." " Well, what is it, my man?" ** Why, that you will save me a piece of the old mast, for a Sunday leg." The doctor promised he would, and fulfilled his promise.
These good-hearted fellows would have amused us a week. We made them a small present, and went on towards Woolwich, the most ancient military and naval arsenal in England, and has a royal dock-yard, where menof-war were built as early as in the reign of Henry VIII. At the eastern part of the town, is the royal arsenal, in which are built magazines of great guns, mortars, bombs, balls, powder, and other warlike stores, a foundry, with three fnrnaces, for casting ordnance, and a laboratory, where fireworks and cartridges are made, and bombs, carcasses, grenades, &c, charged for the public service. Woolwich is seated on the Thames, which is so deep here that large ships may at all times ride with safety.
It is about eight miles from London. As it was now late in the afternoon, feeling somewhat fatigued, I concluded not to go any further, but to return to London in the omnibus. The day was unusually fine, and we really had a firstrate time, arriving home in season for tea, and to spend the evening with the girls. In order to see London properly, one must go leizurely to work, provide himself with the latest handbook, lay out his day's work every morning, and avoid as much as possible being troublesome to friends; for, never mind how much of a stranger you are, anything in London is new to you, and by attending closely to your guide-book, and keeping a sharp lookout for pickpockets, any one can go through London with perfect safety.